And you know what they say about opinions?

“Someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely is accorded authority and status by their peers or the public in a specific well-distinguished domain.

An expert, more generally, is a person with extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or occupation and in a particular area of study.”

I’m going to share some of my thoughts on how to find a property expert to help you in a moment, but first I’d like to explain why I wrote this article.

A while ago I received an invitation in the mail to attend a seminar and learn from a group of experts

It said that when I attend I will be shown “How to make an Extra $100,000 in 36 Days.”

Sounds good so far…

So who’s going to teach me?

As I read on the speakers have proven outcomes by generating:

Over $1 million in 7 days

$1.4 million in 54 minutes

And a massive $23.8 million in less than 24 hours.

Now I have no reason to disbelieve these claims (why would I?), but…

It’s just like when I received an email talking about land banking

Now this is a strategy I have been using personally recommending to clients for years, but what I read was a (please excuse the expression) bastardised version of what successful investors do.

To me a safe land banking strategy is to buy the worst house in a good street and hold onto it for a couple of years until you can afford to do a development.

Instead what I was reading was the concept of buying an option on paddocks which are not zoned residential, and may never be, in rural Australia.

I remember reading of a swindle where a group was reportedly selling land bank options around Shepparton and that particular development has reportedly gone into liquidation, with about two-thirds of the $4.8 million in “option” fees being unaccounted for.

A year later I read that that group who suggested this more recent land banking scheme is being taken to court for allegedly squandering all the investors money!

So here’s my advice on who to listen to in order to create your own financial freedom…

1. Only take advice from those who have done it successfully and significantly and kept their wealth for a long period of time

In other words find practitioners not just teachers.

There is a long, long list of people who have conducted property seminars over the past 20 years giving what sounded like good advice at the time, but who are no longer around.

Sure, there are those who can teach even if they haven’t done it, but why take the risk.

Listen to and read the advice of several experts with conflicting opinions.

Consider their viewpoints – check out their results.

Different property strategies will suit different people depending on their income, their stage in life and their risk tolerance.

Research, learn and then do what suits you.

3. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

I know some people really, really want to get into property and many want to get started in property renovations and development so they are enticed by promises that you can come to our weekend seminar and you’ll learn all you need to give up your day job.

Or you can bypass the banks and buy property with now money. O.K. – you may need a dollar.

Or you can by good property on lay-by.

Now I accept that a really small percentage of people who try this will succeed, but probably 95% won’t.

I know – I see them and get emails from them every day.

Why do you need an expert’s advice?

Simply, it’s just too hard to try and do it any other way.

You see… most property investors don’t achieve financial independence, or they take much too long to get there, because over the first decade of their investing career they have to sort out what works and what doesn’t.

Of course many never survive this stage.

And the small percentage that does then have to make up for the lost time and lost money.

It’s just too hard to do it on your own, or by trial and error – there’s a huge learning fee involved – of time, money, effort and heartache.

On the other hand following the teachings and proven systems of those who’ve already achieved what you want to achieve and who’ve retained their wealth through a number of cycles, while not guaranteeing your success, makes it much, much more likely.

Now I’m not saying I have all the answers

In fact I don’t even know all the questions.

But I have gathered the best faculty of experts I could – yes people who pass my definition of experts above and I’ve put them all in the same room for 2 days to teach you advanced property strategies at my 2 day training on October 20th and 21st – my annual Property Renovations & Development Workshop.

and get all the details and reserve one of the early bird spots which gets you one of the limited one on one implementation sessions after the workshop with me personally.

By the way – we’ve never offered this annual seminar at a cheaper investment.

It’s likely that it will cost you a lot, lot less that you expect even though it’s a training – NOT a sales event.

When you attend, you will learn:

How to profit from renovations and development:

How to select the right type of properties to renovate for substantial profits.

How I makes significant returns on my money by developing residential property including a number of extended sessions on how you could become a property developer.
You will receive my A- Z Manual of Property Development including Metropole’s internal checklists and worksheets. This manual is not available anywhere else.

What research you need to do before you buy a property for renovation or development.

How to maximise profits by selecting the right entity before you buy.

The do’s and don’ts of joint ventures and how you can use them for development

The mistakes that even the professionals have made and cost them thousand.

The big difference in finance that stops beginning developers dead in their tracks – and how to overcome it.

The simple test that 95% of beginning developers carry out at the wrong time, potentially costing them tens of thousands of dollars.

How to save substantially on construction cost.

The software tools the professionals use to analyse their deals and undertake feasibilty studies 9we walk you through these step by step.

The dangers of using your architect’s panel of builders.

Why you shouldn’t use your architect as a project manager.

Which consultants to use for your development, how to choose them and how to pay them.

The three steps to getting your building approval through faster and at the same time saving money.

Understanding development approval stoppers – the essential check list to save you time, money and heartache

Many more time and money saving ideas, deal making tips and deal breaking traps to avoid.

Plus you’ll learn a heap of advanced property investment concepts.

What is really going on in the world economy and what this means to you as a property investor.

How to find property that won’t tie you down with negative cash flow.

What exactly drives property prices — why, over the next few years, some properties will perform so much better than others and how to find these properties..

How to select the suburbs that are likely to provide strong capital growth over the next few years (many suburbs will not).

How to use the lessons from previous property cycles to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. Most investors will miss out!

You’ll love it when we show you how to beat the banksand get better finance. You will learn how to get the banks to treat you like a sophisticated investor.

The tax strategies of the wealthy will be presented by Ken Raiss – Australia’s top property accountant. Almost everybody wants to know about tax and how to minimise it legally.
Most people earn money, pay tax and live off what is left. When we show you how to invest and live off your income before tax, you could have twice as much money at your disposal to invest.

Bullet proof tax structures and asset protection strategies .

If you really want to develop financial independence I suggest you invest 2 powerful, jam packed days and learn renovation and development strategies that experienced property experts are using around Australia to “manufacture” capital growth and generate strong rental returns, so that they can win in today’s challenging property markets.

Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and his opinions are regularly featured in the media. Visit Metropole.com.au

I’ve found a great deal of help reading your book and I’m from the USA. Although it seems like a few of the topics for the October workshop are geared primarily towards Australian citizens, I’d really love to be a part of this and attend. Do you accept registration from the US?

Michael, with all due respect, and I speak not as an “expert” at all, but probably as a conservative investor with no success to report ;-), while the three things you list above (to look out for) are sound, I respectfully think you have forgotten or intended to omit a fourth of equal gravity and importance which I will always inject into the equation. It is this:

4) Nobody is in the business of giving away free advice. Always ask “what’s in it for you?”.
In fact knowing how your advisors will profit from your investments is crucial to doing trustworthy business together as any prudent consumer of advice must know. I credit your services with one of the most transparent takes, holding integrity, namely you charge for your services (courses) and that actually lends them some credibility. It does lump you with solving age old the problem of gaining the trust of your buyers to invest in your advice, but you seem to be on top of that one well enough.

Ahhh yes as a young investor who bought my first IP 3 years ago, i am ‘offered’ a lot of advice from many ‘experts’ who have never walked the walk. I find the easiest way to distinguish between an expert and an ‘expert’ is this:
Expert – will ask you what you are doing and what you have done, before they even think of offering advice
‘Expert’ – will offer you advice before knowing anything about you

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PropertyUpdate.com.au is Australia's leading property investment wealth creation website with tips, advice and strategies from leading real estate investment experts. Featuring topics like property investment, property development (helping you understand the process), negative gearing and finance (so you can borrow more from the banks), property tax (allowing you to structure for legal tax deductions and asset protections), negotiation, property management (assisting landlords and tenants understand their right responsibilities), commercial property (for experienced property investment individuals), personal development and the psychology of property investment success.